Netanyahu needed more time to form coalition due to far-right’s demands 

Israeli Prime Minister-designate, Benjamin Netanyahu, needs more time for the coalition talks to iron out the demands of the far-right parties, Quds Press reported yesterday.

Speaking to the news site, specialist in Israeli affairs, Iyad Hamdan, said: “There are vital differences among the right-wing allies regarding the ministerial jobs and powers.”

Hamdan stated that extremist MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of the Otzma Yehudit Party, and extremist MK Bezalel Smotrich, head of Religious Zionism, “know very well that Netanyahu will not succeed without them. So, they insist on their demands.”

Ben-Gvir is seeking a prominent spot within Netanyahu’s next coalition – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

Meanwhile, Hamadan stressed, “there is much pressure from Netanyahu’s Likud not to concede sovereign ministries, including the ministries of defence, finance and foreign affairs to other parties.”

Another specialist, Ahed Farwaneh, told Quds Press that Netanyahu expected the formation of the coalition to be easier, “but the far-right allies have their own demands that they insist on them.”

However, Farwaneh reiterated that only Netanyahu is able to form a coalition government because all the centrist and left-wing parties are small and have many disagreements.

Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, tweeted yesterday that Netanyahu is facing a crisis in the consultation of his coalition, noting “he is weak in front of the leaders of the far-right parties.”

Hamdan said that Netanyahu “will be able to form a government,” noting that this could be through a rotation agreement for the ministerial jobs.

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